


Harry

by TanyaReed



Category: Remington Steele (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-15
Updated: 2012-12-15
Packaged: 2017-11-21 05:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/594103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TanyaReed/pseuds/TanyaReed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Remington storms out of the room in "Steeled with a Kiss", Daniel has time to think.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Harry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dynapink](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dynapink/gifts).



Daniel Chalmers sat alone in near darkness. He was in a large, elegant room that, under normal circumstances, would have been all he could have desired. Now, it just felt hollow. A cardboard box under a bridge would have suited him better.

In his hands, he held the watch Harry had just thrown at him. Any hope of a familial relationship with his son had fallen with it. As the small watch played its simple Irish tune, Daniel thought of all the opportunities he'd had to tell Harry the truth. There'd been twenty years of them.

Daniel had been such a coward. He had been so afraid of a scene like the one he'd just endured. Now, he'd faced it anyway, and there wouldn't be any time for reconciliation. Daniel had run out of time.

As he sat there, he let himself remember Sarah. They had been so young, and she had been so beautiful. It was her innocence that had drawn him to her. Despite facing almost as many hard knocks as he had, she had remained untouched by anger and bitterness. Her eyes had been blue and guileless, and a tiny dusting of freckles had made her seem even younger than her true age. She had been barely eighteen when Daniel met her and not yet twenty when she died. With her death, she had given Daniel something that was more important to him than money or schemes. More important than his own life. She had given him Harry.

It had taken Daniel years to find him. By the time he had, Harry had been as jaded and angry as Daniel had once been himself. His hatred for the father who had deserted him was so strong that Daniel couldn't bear to be that father, so he had lied. And he continued to lie for twenty years.

Today, he had told the truth and it all fell apart. He couldn't remember ever seeing Harry so angry. Daniel almost resented Laura for convincing him to speak. Everyone would have been happier if he had gone to his grave with Harry believing he was just the mentor that saved him from the streets.

Daniel remembered the day they met so clearly. It had been dark and gray but not yet raining. In his searching, he had managed to find a picture of his son and the first time he saw him in the flesh his breath had caught as he froze in his tracks.

XXX

Daniel watched Harry, his son, as he weaved through the crowd. The boy was small for fourteen, both short and too thin, with over sized clothes that hung off of his scrawny body and long dark hair that flopped into his eyes. Every once in awhile, his nimble fingers would dip into an unsuspecting pocket. It was so quick that a normal person would never have noticed, but Daniel wasn't your average person.

As he watched Harry, Daniel was filled with disbelief. He just couldn't believe that he'd found him after all the years of searching. He hadn't expected the feelings that caught him as he watched the boy who was so much like him but looked so much like Sarah. Both pride and horror were mixed in with the affection and curiosity. Horror that another generation had to find his way in the world by taking from others and pride at how obviously talented he was at it. With Daniel's tutelage, he could get so much better. They could work together, father and son, and maybe they'd find the large score that Daniel had been seeking his whole life.

All that was left was to meet him.

Daniel found he was nervous as he contemplated actually speaking to Harry. He couldn't go up to him and throw open his arms and declare himself Harry's long lost father. He knew what he would have done at Harry's age in that situation. Abandonment left a huge black hole inside a boy. Daniel would have to be more subtle than that. He'd have to ease into it.

Daniel knew he looked like a good mark. He always made a point of dressing well, and he was a consummate actor. He could make Harry want to pick his pocket. It was all about getting inside the other person's head, and Daniel had years of practice. He could convince anyone of anything, and right now he wanted to convince a fourteen year old boy that Daniel's pocket was just waiting to be picked.

Sterning his features and adjusting his walk, Daniel pushed out of the shadows and into Harry's line of sight. He sauntered down the sidewalk, pretending not to notice when the young thief's eyes lit on him.

It wasn't long before Harry hunched in on himself and moved towards Daniel. He had the right air of innocence, the right attitude of a boy in a hurry. His eyes were downcast, but Daniel could tell he was alert.

Daniel was prepared when the boy's body hit his. He felt Harry's fingers reach inside his clothes and grab his wallet. As Harry withdrew his hand, Daniel struck quickly, grabbing his wrist in strong fingers.

Harry's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Daniel could see the fear in his face.

“I believe that belongs to me.”

“Let me go,” Harry said. “I'll yell.”

“If you yell, several people on this street will realize they are missing their wallets.” Daniel watched as the truth of this registered on his son's face before continuing, “Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Are you hungry?”

Harry's face turned wary. “What do you want?”

“I've got a business proposition for you.”

“I'm not into that.”

Daniel smiled, though his heart hurt. He hated that his son had had to learn to protect himself on the streets. He remembered his own childhood, and he wouldn't have wished that kind of life on anyone.

“It's not that kind of proposition. I need some help with something, and you seem like a likely lad to help me.”

Curiosity replaced the fear in Harry's features, though he still looked wary.

“Come, have a quick meal with me and hear me out. If you don't like what I have to say, you can leave.”

“With dessert?”

“Sure.”

A slight smile touched Harry's face. “You're on.”

“I'm Daniel by the way,” he said, finally releasing Harry's wrist. When Harry didn't answer, he prodded, “And you are?”

Harry shrugged. “Who do I look like?”

Daniel knew that Sarah had named him after her father. “Harry. You look like a Harry.”

“Then my name's Harry. What are we eating?”

XXX

Daniel smiled as he continued to fiddle with the watch. It had been a great twenty years. He was closer to his son than he had ever been to anyone. They had done many things together and gone to many places. There had been lots of laughter and even some tears. Daniel would not have changed any of it.

Sighing, he got to his feet and turned on the light. With some difficulty—everything seemed to include some amount of difficulty these days—Daniel lifted his suitcase up onto the trunk at the foot of his bed. Resolutely, he started putting his things inside.

Harry didn't want him there anymore. The thought saddened him, but he knew he had to give his son the space to accept the truth. He just hoped that some day, even if he wasn't around to see it, Harry's anger would fade and he would remember the love and the fun they'd shared. They had experienced more together than most fathers and sons did in five lifetimes, and Daniel was grateful for that. Maybe someday Harry would be too.

A little flutter in his chest warned Daniel that he was overexerting himself, but he tried to ignore it. He was determined to be out of the castle before Harry returned.

He paused for a moment and took several deep breaths. His hands were trembling, and his knees felt weak. Daniel rode out the spell, wondering if, finally, this would be the last one.

Slowly, some of his strength returned and he continued to pack. Millions of memories of Harry went through his mind, and Daniel was so glad he had them.

A sudden voice behind him made him pause. “I remember the first time you bought that suit.”

Surprised, Daniel turned to see Harry standing there. Harry was smiling softly, and there was warmth in his eyes. Daniel couldn't help but return the smile. He felt near tears as he studied his son's face, noting the love and acceptance that was there.

For the first time, the two of them could talk openly as father and son. He would be able to tell Harry all about his mother and how much he had loved her. They could finally live as a real family and not just a semblance of one. 

Now, Daniel could die happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas/Happy holidays! I hope you enjoy this story. It's been a long time since I wrote in this universe and the first time I've written Daniel, but I tried to come up with something that you'd like.
> 
> Also, with Remington's line at the end, I just wanted you to know that that wasn't *my* line. I know you can't buy a suit more than once, but this is where I merged back into the episode, and I think Pierce flubbed his line. It was probably supposed to be, "I remember when you bought that suit" or "I remember the first time you wore that suit." Still, I guess it shows that our favorite characters are human too. :)
> 
> Lastly, thanks to both of my wonderful betas, who will probably be named after the author reveal.


End file.
